Zimbabwe hauliers boycott high-toll Beira route

'Big change in Mozambique's attitude' Martin Rushmere HUGELY EXPENSIVE road tolls in Mozambique have led to an almost complete boycott by Zimbabwe operators on the Beira route. Transport executives say that the tolls mean that the cost per TEU is at least US$240 compared with the SADC average of US$30 per TEU. "Mozambique does not seem to care," said one haulier, "which is a big change from a few years ago, when they were so keen to get foreign currency. It could be connected with the fact that aid and donor money is pouring into the country and government officials are quite happy with their rising standards of living." Rail rates are unaffected, but shippers say the Beira line is under-used. "Many shippers and forwarders in Zimbabwe are South African owned or connected," said one manager, "and want to use the southern route as much as possible. A complicating factor is that the Beira rates are public knowledge, whereas those to South Africa are variable and, to some extent, unknown. This allows bigger mark-ups on the South African route, whereas no-one could increase their mark-up to Beira without the industry getting to know about it."